TxDOT selects firm to develop new I-30/I-35E interchange in Dallas

Some 450,000 vehicles daily pass through the intersection of Interstate 30 and 35E in downtown Dallas. (The Trucker file photo)

The Trucker News Services

11/15/2012

DALLAS — Dallas residents and the thousands to drive through downtown Dallas daily — including hundreds of professional truck drivers — will soon begin seeing improvements to one of the state's most congested areas as the result of a decision Nov. 15 by the Texas Transportation Commission to select Pegasus Link as the developer for the Horseshoe Project.

The project, which was aptly dubbed the "Horseshoe" because of its U-shaped configuration, will include an upgrade of the Interstate 30 Bridge, part of the Mixmaster and both the north- and southbound I-35E bridges near downtown Dallas.

Highway segments of the Horseshoe are on the state's list of 100 Most Congested Roadways making it one of the most congested bottlenecks in the country with more than 450,000 vehicles a day.

The existing infrastructure, originally constructed between 1958 through 1962, is outdated and insufficient to meet the transportation demands of today, TxDOT officials said.

When the project is finished, there will be 23 lanes, an increase from 16, that will have been built where the interstates combine under the Jefferson Avenue Viaduct.

Through the design-build development approach and partnerships forged, TxDOT will be able to deliver the Horseshoe Project earlier than expected, while also addressing safety and traffic congestion."This is a major advancement for our great state as we move forward with the essential steps to enhance mobility for motorists in the downtown Dallas Mixmaster," said Texas Transportation Commission Chairman Ted Houghton. "Cooperation and coordination among our partners, such as state legislators, regional and city leaders and TxDOT, led to the vision, advanced planning, funding and expected delivery of this much-anticipated Horseshoe Project. It's these types of public/private partnerships that make it possible for us to stay true to our mission — working with others to find safe and reliable transportation solutions for Texas."

Last December, TxDOT issued a call for proposals to find a qualified team interested in designing, constructing and, potentially, maintaining the Horseshoe Project. Pegasus Link LLC was chosen from a group of three responding firms that were the most qualified.

Construction on the Horseshoe project is expected to begin in the summer of 2013 with a projected completion date of 2017.